Hop Streetcars, Maintenance Facility Open to Public at ‘Doors Open’ Sept. 22-23 in Advance of Operations Starting Later This Fall
Visitors Can Walk Inside Stationary Streetcars Both Days and Visit Facility on Sept. 23
The Hop’s first vehicle making its inaugural trip to the maintenance facility. Photo by Jeramey Jannene.
Milwaukee – To give Milwaukee residents and visitors a sneak peek inside its vehicles and maintenance facility before launch, The Hop, presented by Potawatomi Hotel & Casino, is opening its doors on Sept. 22-23 as part of “Doors Open,” Historic Milwaukee Inc.’s behind-the-scenes look at more than 170 buildings and other Milwaukee locations in celebration of the city’s art, architecture, culture and history.
The two Hop opportunities at Doors Open are:
- 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 22: A Hop vehicle will be parked and open for boarding near the intersection of N. Broadway and E. Michigan St. at the Doors Open block party and headquarters. The event will also feature WMSE-FM DJs spinning records, art activities and great food from several local vendors.
- 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 23: The doors to The Hop’s operations and maintenance facility, located 450 N. 5th St. (one block north of the Milwaukee Intermodal Station), will be opened to visitors, who will be able to see the maintenance bays, operations center, vehicle washing area and facility yards. A stationary vehicle will also be open to visitors. Guests should enter the facility by the “Doors Open” banner near the corner of W. Clybourn St. and Vel R. Phillips Ave.
“We are excited to have The Hop streetcar, Milwaukee’s newest icon, join Doors Open this year,” said Grace Fuhr, Special Events Director, Historic Milwaukee. “We look forward to the streetcar beginning service and bringing people to Historic Milwaukee’s Milwaukee-themed gift shop on The Hop route near the Wisconsin Avenue Southbound stop and to other destinations along the route. We also plan to offer a ‘Hop On Hop Off’ tour of historic buildings along the Hop route in the coming months.”
Hop Helpers will be at both locations to answer questions about the streetcars and the system, hand out information on how to HopSmart and share Milwaukee’s roads and discuss the long-term vision for where we’ll be hopping next. T-shirts featuring The Hop logo will also be available for sale at both locations. The Hop will be stationary for visitors both days, as testing of the system and vehicles is still underway.
The public is expected to be able to ride The Hop beginning later this fall. Rides will be free for the first year, thanks to Potawatomi Hotel & Casino’s generous 12-year, $10 million sponsorship.
For more information on The Hop, visit thehopmke.com. Details on Doors Open are at http://www.doorsopenmilwaukee.org/
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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